Physical Therapy for Sciatica

Physical therapy for sciatica is one of the most common and popular
conservative medical treatment options.

Physical therapy consists of
exercises
and
stretches
which help to restore function and increase mobility and strength.

While physical therapy is crucial for many patients who are
recovering
from injury or
surgery,
it is generally not known to produce good results as a stand alone treatment for
chronic sciatica.

This article will examine how physical therapy can be utilized
in sciatica patients, as well as the many limitations of conservative
care for some diagnosed conditions.

Physical Therapy for Sciatica Indications

Sciatica patients
who employ physical therapy as part of a combined care approach often
enjoy temporary pain relieving benefits. This is not because the
therapy is so successful in dealing with
sciatic nerve pain,
but more often due to the
misdiagnosis
of the actual underlying symptomatic complaint.

Most sciatica is blamed on a
herniated disc
or spinal
osteoarthritis
process, which makes it very unclear how physical therapy is
supposed to relieve the pain.

Exercise therapy will surely not do
anything to change the spinal anatomy, heal a herniation or eliminate
osteophyte growth.

However, being that some forms of sciatica are caused by
ischemia,
rather than a spinal abnormality, physical therapy suddenly becomes a
far more sensible consideration, since it raises the amount of oxygen in
the blood. This increased circulation temporarily staves off the
effects of
oxygen deprivation sciatica,
providing the short term relief most patients report from a physical therapy session.

Physical
therapy can also be a great method of care for patients with piriformis
syndrome and localized pseudo-sciatica pain due to muscular imbalances
and other soft tissue pathologies.

Physical Therapy for Sciatica Applications

Many patients who have been functionally limited for an extended
time, really come to depend on their trusted physical therapist. It is
obvious that the relationship between therapist and patient is at least
as important as the treatment itself.

Ongoing physical therapy
is cost prohibitive and most patients will stay in a program for a
matter of weeks. If results are not up to expectations, patients are
commonly referred to more drastic methods of care.

It is common for a surgical recommendation to be made if
sciatica pain
continues despite several attempted, but unsuccessful treatment options.

If
surgery is performed, the patient will end up right back in physical
therapy to start the entire healing and rehabilitation processes all
over again.

Hopefully, the procedure will provide some benefit and end
the cycle of treatment, allowing the patient to finally return to a
normal and active life without the burden of chronic pain.

Physical Therapy for Sciatica Usefulness

Physical therapy is certainly a vital part of the spine care industry and a valuable component of any
rehabilitation
program. Physical therapy is generally not a sciatica cure, but often gives a clue to many misdiagnosed pain syndromes.

Remember,
if you have been diagnosed with a spinal explanation for your pain and
receive considerable relief from physical therapy sessions, there is a
good chance that your
sciatica
has been misdiagnosed.

The most common form of chronic sciatica,
which responds well to PT, is certainly the ischemic variety and this is
ironically also the least often correctly diagnosed.

Exercise
therapy directly counters the effects of oxygen deprivation, explaining
the temporary relief. Unfortunately, within hours, the circulation
decreases once again and symptoms return.

If this represents your back
pain experience, you should consider the idea that your pain, like many
others, is actually the result of common ischemia.

To learn more
about physical therapy for any lower back, buttocks, leg or foot pain
syndrome, talk to a qualified service provider near you.

Physical
therapists are true healers, using actual hands-on work which is so rare
in the modern medical sector. I have nothing but respect for their
work.